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(Would you say that over the past year, the level of unemployment in the country has gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?) Would you say much better or somewhat better? / Would you say much worse or somewhat worse?
Degree unemployment got better or worse over past year · Asked in 8 waves, 1986–2020 · 27,415 responses · weighted estimates computed from individual responses
Dropped only in years where the codebook names a design split (alternate form, half sample, abbreviated or web instrument): -9 in 1986, 2004. Kept and flagged: -9 (other_missing), -8 (dk).
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. Each column is one wave, evenly spaced rather than to scale in time; hover for exact shares.
| Group | Much better | Somewhat better | Same | Somewhat worse | Much worse | n | MoE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents |
| Poll | Field dates | Mode | Respondents | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANES 2020 Time Series Study Source variable: V201333x. | 2020-08-18 to 2021-01-04 | mixed | 8,280 | 8,280 |
| ANES 2016 Time Series Study Source variable: V161142x. | 2016-09-07 to 2017-01-09 | mixed | 4,270 | 4,270 |
| ANES 2012 Time Series Study Source variable: econ_unpast_x. | 2012-09-09 to 2013-01-13 | mixed | 5,914 | 5,914 |
| ANES 2008 Time Series Study Source variable: V083087x. | 2008-09-02 to 2008-12-30 | face to face | 2,322 | 2,322 |
| ANES 2004 Time Series Study Source variable: V043102. | 2004-09-07 to 2004-12-19 | face to face | 1,212 | 1,066 |
| ANES 1992 Time Series Study Source variable: V923528. | 1992-09-02 to 1993-01-16 | mixed | 2,485 | 2,485 |
| ANES 1988 Time Series Study Source variable: V880240. | 1988-09-06 to 1989-01-23 | face to face | 2,040 | 2,040 |
Dashed lines mark changes in how interviews were done, which can shift answers: 1. → mixed mode (2012).
Shares of people who gave an answer. A group’s column is left blank in waves where its effective sample is under 50; hover for exact shares.
| 8% |
| 6% |
| 15% |
| 13% |
| 58% |
| 8280 |
| ±1 |
| Northeast | 6% | 6% | 14% | 12% | 61% | 1396 | ±4 |
| Midwest | 8% | 6% | 15% | 17% | 53% | 1997 | ±3 |
| South | 9% | 7% | 18% | 12% | 55% | 3081 | ±2 |
| West | 7% | 5% | 11% | 12% | 65% | 1806 | ±3 |
ANES 2020 Time Series Study · US citizens 18+ (face-to-face samples: contiguous 48 states and DC; web samples: 50 states and DC). Shares of people who gave an answer. n is unweighted; ± is the 95% margin of error at 50% from the weighted effective sample. Groups with an effective sample under 50 are grayed; under 20, hidden.
| 1986-11-05 to 1987-02-07 |
| face to face |
| 2,176 |
| 1,038 |